Catch me if you can
by baller-annie
Summary: "How to lose a guy in ten days" AU. Mindy is a columnist who's trying to write a piece about what drives men away in relationships. Danny's an ob/gyn who makes a dangerous bet with an enemy. When the two meet they start a game of cat and mouse, unbeknown to each other.


_**A/N: **__Huge thanks to my wonderful beta Mona __for her annotations and nitpicks. you 're a pro!_

_To those who read/followed this story the other day: i'm deeply sorry for the repost,but there was some last minute editing to be done. It was solely for your benefit,so i hope i'll be forgiven._

* * *

Mindy is sitting at her desk, finishing the last bite of her fiesta salad wrap when Alex rushes to her cubicle.

"You know that cute sports agent that flirted with you at the club Saturday?" Alex asks enthusiastically, as she makes herself comfortable on top of Mindy's desk.

"Josh?" Mindy reminisces. Blonde, kind of a jerk but in an attractive way. Not really husband material, but a fun detour from all her failed serious dating attempts. She didn't hate him completely.

"He made a special delivery this morning," Alex continues, wiggling two tickets in front of her friend's face.

Mindy crosses her fingers. "Please be Katy Perry tickets!"

"Yankees vs Red Sox, tomorrow night," Alex sing-songs.

Mindy groans, disappointed.

"Can we go together? I always wanted to see a real New York baseball game," Alex suggests, jumping off of the desk and straightening her skirt.

Mindy takes the tickets from her friend's hand. "You're such a country girl," she teases.

"Whatever, Baaawstan!"

"Shut up!" Mindy chuckles, then she rolls a paper bag and throws it at her friend's head.

Alex bends to take it off the ground and is ready to throw it back, when the moment is interrupted by her phone buzzing.

"It's Gwen." Alex and Mindy's eyes meet at the same moment.

"Do you think ... " Mindy wonders.

"Probably. Let's go. We have 40 minutes 'til lunch break's over."

* * *

"Gwen? Are you in?" Mindy knocks on Gwen's apartment door. "We got coffee cake!"

The door unlocks, revealing a dishelved Gwen in her ducky pajama. Her hair is a mess, but somehow she still looks cute as hell. Mindy silently curses her.

"What happened?" Mindy makes her way into the apartment, careful not to trip over the piles of laundry and takeout menus on the floor.

"I got dumped." Gwen cries, walking towards her bedroom followed by her two friends. She then falls back to burrow herself into the bed covers she just left.

"Again?" Mindy takes a seat at the foot of the bed, setting a pile of used paper tissues aside.

"Why does this always happen to me? Things always start off so great and all of a sudden, it's over." Gwen starts sniffling, "I felt like we had a connection, you know, I - " she stumbles "- I poured my heart out to him ... I told him I loved him"

Mindy and Alex's eyes meet as Gwen blows her nose.

"After how many days?" Alex asks, genuinely bewildered. Gwen has been dating dated Carl for little more than a week and she finds the information rather alarming.

"Five. Okay, maybe three. I just really felt it, you know?" Gwen eyes her friends, searching for validation.

"What did he say?"

"He said it back. "With his eyes," she explains, as if it's the most natural thing in the world, "but then he started to get busy, and never replied to my facebook pokes, or emails, or twitter DMs ... maybe I'm not hot enough. I mean, he is always around models at the ad agency. Maybe he has found someone better."

"Shut up!" Mindy smacks her in the arm. "You're smart, successful, and have a crazy hot bod. Screw him!"

"Also, if Gisele Bündchen acted the way you did, any normal guy would still go running in the other direction," Alex adds, while handing her the bakery box.

"I don't think that's true." Gwen frowns, opening it and smelling the cake.

"Listen, as much as I admit your pajama is crazy adorable and we all love coffee cake - God knows how much I do - wallowing is not getting you anywhere," Mindy yells, heading to the kitchen to get forks and plates.

"Come to the Shulman party with us tonight," Alex pleads, taking a plate and a fork from Mindy, who sits back on the bed.

"Green is so your color, Gwen, you can't miss 's Day!" Mindy wiggles her eyebrows.

"And if you feel bad, you can just get drunk and no one's gonna judge you." Alex says, between bites.

"Fine." Gwen rolls her eyes in defeat, digging into the cake.

* * *

The elevator door is about to close when a long, freshly manicured hand stops it.

"Good evening, Sheila." Mindy greets her boss,and pushes the 12th level button.

"Good evening, girls," she replies, taking a compact mirror and lipstick out of her purse to retouch her make-up.

She smacks her lips and smiles, satisfied. "Oh, hello Gwen," she then says, as if she only just noticed the woman's presence. "I thought you were sick. You were a no-show today. I hope you have a good explanation."

Gwen is about to reply, when Alex jumps to her defense. "Her boyfriend broke up with her."

"Again? Oh, poor you," Sheila says half-earnestly. "But I must say you look great tonight. I think the split did you good. You look skinnier. You should write about that in your health column."

"I - I can't use my personal life for a story."

"I understand, dear. Alex, Mindy, do either of you wanna write about it?"

"Yes!" Mindy replies quickly. Alex and Gwen stare at her like she has grown a third limb.

"She will be my inspiration," Mindy's eyes dart back and forth between her friends and her boss.

"She's a great woman, who like many of us, gets in trouble with relationships and doesn't know what she's doing wrong."

Gwen and Alex visibly relax and nod in agreement.

"Uh-huh." Sheila gestures for her to continue.

"So ... I'm gonna date a guy and get him to dump me."

"Oh, you should call it _How to lose a guy in ten days_," Alex suggests, raising her eyebrows.

"See? It sells itself!" Mindy smiles at Sheila.

"How to lose a guy in ten days." Sheila takes a moment to contemplate, "I like it. Go for it."

Mindy silently fist pumps as the elevator stops. The doors open and Sheila enters the hallway, her three employee following her into the party.

* * *

"Hello," Brendan greets Sheila, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "You look lovely."

Sheila blushes and Mindy and her friends can't help but giggle at her unusual display of emotions.

"Ladies, this is my -" Sheila clears her throat, "my friend Brendan. Brendan,these are my top columnists: Alex and Trends. Gwen Grandy, Fitness and Health. And Mindy Lahiri, our resident 'How to' girl."

"I've seen you column, Mindy. My patients love it. I'm a midwife. I work upstairs." He smiles slightly. "What are you working on now?"

Mindy doesn't have a chance to answer.

"How to lose a guy in ten days." Sheila jumps in. "She's going to start dating a guy and drive him away on purpose in a week and a half. Brilliant, isn't it?"

"Sounds ruthless. But a necessary evil," Brendan resolves.

"Well, Mindy, what are you still doing here? Go mingle with the crowd, find your guy. Time is ticking. Go, go, go!" Sheila pushes her away.

* * *

"So, who's it gonna be?" Alex asks, scanning the room.

"That one with the blue suit next to the refreshments table is kinda cute." Gwen points across the room.

"Oh, yeah, I think I'm gonna go." Mindy checks her reflection in a nearby tray before making her way towards the mysterious man.

"Hey, you." She puts her hand on her hip, attempting her best Angelina Oscar pose.

The man extends his hand, smiling. "Cliff Gilbert. I work with the lawyers across the hall."

"Mindy Lahiri. I'm a columnist for Glow, the online magazine downstairs." She hakes his hand in return. "So, where are you from?"

"Actually,I was born in Iowa but when I was five I mov - " his musing is interrupted when a short red headed woman approaches them. "Oh, hi babe. This is Mindy, she works for the online magazine downstairs."

"Glow." Mindy mutters.

"Never heard of it," the woman responds. "I'm Heather, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Heather. I ... better go now, my friends are waiting. Cliff," Mindy bows her head, retreating to the opposite side of the room.

"Girlfriend," she growls, taking Alex's drink from her hand and sipping on the straw.

"Better luck next time," Gwen sighs, patting her on the arm.

* * *

Brendan feels a hand hovering over his shoulder.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Deslaurier." Danny stands in front of the midwife, all crossed arms and puffed out chest.

"This is going to take a couple of minutes, Sheila." Brendan excuses himself, leading Danny to a private corner.

"This party is open to the whole building, so I think it is my right to be here."

"Guess what? We heard from Maria Menounos today. She said she had a better offer from another practice and she's reconsidering being our spokesperson."

"Yes, well. She is an established businesswoman and I'm sure she can make an informed decision for herself. We simply made a counteroffer- "

"Behind our back," Danny interrupts.

"- and she's considering it. " Brendan finishes. "Listen, it's nothing personal. Women love us. They do. Whether they're eight, or eighty, we respect women, all right? We don't just cure them, we also listen to them, and that's why we can sell ourselves to any woman, anywhere, anytime."

"So can we." Danny shrugs nonchalantly.

"Really? The tree molester and Mr Catfish?" he gestures towards Peter and Jeremy. "You, with your broken marriage?"

"You don't know anything!" Danny begins to sweat, "I could call up any girl in my phone book. Any girl!"

Brendan glances behind Danny's shoulder and notices Sheila on the other side of the room, arguing with her employees. An idea strikes him.

"Dr. Shulman's lifetime achievement award ceremony is in ten days. You think you could make a woman fall in love with you by then?"

"Like that." Danny snaps his fingers. "But you know what? I don't need to prove anything to you ... screw you, Deslaurier!"

"If you do prove it, we'll withdraw the offer and let you guys have Maria." Brendan arches his eyebrows, beaming at Danny.

Danny eyes him with suspicion. It's not the first time Deslaurier has tries to pull some dirty trick on their practice.

"I know what you're thinking, but this is not a ruse. In fact, we'll choose someone right here, right now."

"Who?" Danny looks around the room.

"Let's see ... " Brendan stalls for a few seconds, pretending to inspect the crowd. "How about her? South - Asian by the reception, with the blinding sparkly dress."

"Okay, you can just say Indian." Danny rolls his eyes, annoyed.

"Actually, that's offensive. And a generalization," Brendan argues "So ... are we on?"

"Deal!" Danny shakes Brendan's hand, grasping way too firmly.

"Perfect." Brendan disentangles himself from the grasp, smoothing his palm on his pants. "You bring her to the ceremony, and we'll see who gets Maria."


End file.
